1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to method and apparatus for the repair of inflatable balls.
In particular, the invention relates to the method and apparatus whereby a damaged inflatable ball may be repaired by the incorporation of an inflatable bladder.
2. Prior Art
Air inflated balls are used in many sports, for example football, soccer, basketball, etc. In general, such inflatable balls are provided with a leather, or leather-like covering. This covering is comprised of a plurality of parts which are stitched at the time of manufacture to provide a playing ball of the desired shape when inflated with air. The ball may incorporate an internal bladder within the covering which fills with air to fill the inner contour of the ball. Because the cost of even relatively inexpensive balls which are so constructed is significant, impairment of the air retaining capacity of such a ball can result in a significant monetary loss to the owner thereof.
Such monetary loss becomes more significant in case wherein a ready supply of such balls is required as for example to satisfy the needs of a professional or semi-professional athletic team or the athletic department of an educational or other institution.
In the past, it has usually not been possible to repair a ball that does not contain an internal bladder. To repair a ball which uses a bladder, it is necessary to open the stitching in the covering of the ball, remove the damaged bladder and replace it with a new bladder. Some bladders are designed to permanently adhere to the ballcase upon inflation and may hamper or prevent repair because of the difficulty encountered in removal. The covering is then restitched and the new bladder inflated. The stitching operation requires learned skills and specialized equipment. Thus, the cost of such repair may rapidly approach or exceed the original purchase price of such a ball. The need exists, therefore, for a simple inexpensive means and method for repairing such balls when their air retention capabilities are impaired. Typically, such impairment results in a slow leakage of air from the ball and the ball will generally be found to be in need of inflation.
Caro in U.S. Pat. No. 2,012,376 issued Aug. 27, 1935 provided an inflatable ball which had a self-closing flap on its covering surface. When the flap was opened, a bladder could be inserted into or withdrawn from the covering. On the surface, diametrically opposite from the access flap, a small opening was provided to lend access to the air inflation valve of the bladder. The bladder was coupled in the vicinity of the valve to a metal plate which fit into a recess adjacent the inflation access opening. The flapped opening through which the bladder was to be inserted and withdrawn was reinforced to prevent the flap from protruding when the bladder was inflated. Inflation of the bladder automatically closed the flap and held it in its closed position.
As is known to those skilled in the art, the incorporation of metallic coupling devices for securing the bladder in position within the ball cover as well as the provision of reinforcing areas such as found within the access flap of Caro's ball leads to the formation of flat or dead spots or areas on the ball.
Those skilled in the art have sought to find less disadvantageous ways of replacing a damaged bladder within a ball and of maintaining that bladder within the desired position within the ball covering. A popular approach to solving these problems is to provide a ball covering with a relatively large access opening therethrough. The replaceable bladder is inserted through this relatively large opening. A special bladder construction is employed wherein a flange or washer having a larger diameter than the access opening in the ball cover is coupled to the bladder at the bladder inflation valve. The flange or washer is provided with a raised part or projection which is adapted to seat within the access opening in the ball cover when the bladder is inserted within the cover and inflated. Because the washer diameter exceeds that of the access opening within the ball cover, the opening is sealed thereby and the raised projection on the washer provides a substantially continuous ball covering surface by substantially filling in the void presented by the access opening in said cover.
Three typical examples of this latter approach are presented in U.S. Pat. No. 1,436,630, issued Nov. 21, 1922 to Buchner et al; in United Kingdom Pat. No. 528,832, issued Nov. 7, 1940 to Wilson; and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,633, issued June 23, 1981 to Benscher.
With these latter approaches, the bladder may be replaced by withdrawing it through the relatively large access opening provided within the ball covering at the time of manufacture. The flange or washer with the raised projection thereon is deformable so that it may be drawn through said access opening despite the fact that its diameter is larger than that of the access opening in the ball covering. Although these approaches seem practical and have proven popular with those skilled in the prior art, most inflatable balls comprised of a covering material with an inflatable bladder therein are manufactured with a relatively small opening within the cover of the ball. This small opening, generally on the order of 1/2 inch or less in diameter, permits communication with the inflation valve of the ball bladder. The bladder is inserted within the covering at the time of manufacture. The inflation valve is positioned within the small access opening in the ball cover and a relatively large reinforcing flange is cemented to the inside of the cover to maintain the bladder and inflation valve in position within the cover. The stitching of the cover is then completed and the ball bladder inflated. Such a bladder may or may not adhere to the ball cover permanently. When a ball so constructed is damaged and its air retention capabilities impaired, it is generally considered impractical to attempt to repair the ball. Various sealing fluids which may be deposited within the bladder serve merely to unbalance the ball and make its action erratic.
It is therefore an objective of the invention to provide means and method for readily, simply, and inexpensively repairing a damaged inflatable ball.
It is a particular objective of the invention to provide method and apparatus wherein a portion of the ball covering material may be removed without impairing any stitching in the ball cover and to permit a new bladder to be inserted and the repair of the surface integrity of the ball cover.
It is a more particular objective of the invention to provide method and apparatus wherein an inflatable ball, having once been repaired, may be even more readily repaired if its air retention capabilities are impaired a second or third or more times.